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BILOXI, Miss. – There are new reports that oil has come ashore on Mississippi beaches now too.
It’s the first time that Mississippi has had a major landfall of oil on any of its beaches. Until now, the state had dodged the bullet that has hit Alabama and Florida.
We are heading there now to talk to city managers and residents who, from what we understand at the outset, are quite angry. One city official in Biloxi told me that BP and the unified command had two months to anticipate the arrival of oil in Mississippi and yet they seem to have been unprepared.
He claims that there were no skimmer boats there and very little boom put out – so now there is oil on Mississippi beaches.
Oil hitting this region’s beaches is becoming a recurrent problem that is casting a dark shadow over a usually happy time of year here: summer vacation.
On Sunday, just west of Gulf Shores, Ala., we met Jamie and Jennifer Bible and their family. They had come from Tuscaloosa, to visit their favorite vacation spot. They came there expecting to sit by the water, Jennifer’s favorite pastime, only to find a big dark pool of oil sitting in their favorite spot.
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So now they are going to be spending their vacation at the pool and they are not going to let their kids near the water. And Jennifer will not be able to enjoy the ocean because not only is there oil coming in on the beach, but there is oil coming in with the surf. We could see it. There were skimmer boats offshore trying to stop the oil from coming in, but so much was getting past them that it was fouling the shore.
Every day now, oil seems to hit a beach somewhere in either Florida, Alabama or now Mississippi – but it’s hard to predict where the oil will hit next. It’s all the function of wind and current and tide.
The unpredictability is giving city managers fits because they can’t get ahead of the oil. As soon as they clean it up, more comes in, maybe in a different part of the beach then the area they just were working on. It is extremely frustrating for the workers who are out working in the high humidity during the day trying to get ahead of the oil. It is an uphill battle.
Once the oil hits the beach, it’s a big problem on many different levels.
First of all, economically, oil hitting the beach is a death knell for the tourist trade. Once tourists see that oil is on the beaches, they are very reluctant to go there. Condo managers, rental managers, hotel owners, restaurant owners all say that they are being hurt very badly by oil on their beaches.
Physically, it’s tough to get rid of, too. If they don’t get to it right away, new sand brought in by the tide will pile up on top of the oil and then they have to dig below the sand to get to it. If they don’t do that, the oil can sit there, fester and bubble up over time. So it’s a real problem. It leads to staining, it fouls the beach, tourists don’t like it, residents don’t like it and everybody feels it’s inevitable that a lot more will keep coming ashore.
And then there is the impact on wildlife. Everyday there are reports of birds being fouled. We see dolphins swimming out there in the water right near the oil patches. We see large schools of fish very close to shore, in amongst the oil.
So the worry here, in this area famous for its with crystal clear water, pristine beaches and abundant wildlife is that all of that is going to be impacted, in addition to the economic impact.
For tourists who are returning to places they have loved for years and suddenly see oil on their beaches – it’s a real shock. People have told us that they have cried.
Not only is their vacation ruined, but their favorite place is ruined. They feel sorry for the animals and they feel sorry for the people who live here.
It’s a real shock that unfortunately is being suffered by more and more tourists when they get here and see oil on the beaches.
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I lived here2003-2005, looking after my mom but moved after Katrina. I loved the coast and the entire culture of fishing, shrimp boats, bridges, crabs, birds and so on. I've often thought of retiring here. But no longer. Most of these folks are nice people and I do feel sorry for them... however...
While it is possible to deep drill as long as the proper precautions are taken, the big Corporations all want to limit expenses and thus increase their profits (revenue – expenses = profit) so they lobby to prevent Gov't from enacting strict regulations, and own the GOP.
Republicans have made fun of environmentalists for years, portraying them as wackos who would rather protect salamanders than businesses and working families. Then they get elected and gut or prevent key environmental regulations fromhappening, thus allowing big business a free hand.
These red Southern States all vote for the GOP and so southerners should take responsibility for their votes and allowing things like this to happen. Own up to the fact that pushing their religion, holding down minorities and preventing gays from marrying was much more important that looking out for the common welfare and watch dogging Corporations.
The same people are also responsible for the Financial melt down. Even now, they refuse to accept that they own some of theblame... and thiose that recognize that these Corporations weren't controlled and the GOP is a big reason for that, they pretend that they had nothing to do with it and are something called Tea Partiers...
No, they are just a bunch of ignorant Repubicans who have a lot if responsibility for this tragedy...
You have placed the responsibility precisely where it belongs. I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you.
Harry,
An excellent post. Lucid thoughts and well said. Thank you!
Gaetamorono,
If ANYONE had the answers to stopping the gusher, they would have done it. When will you realize there is NOTHING that can be done which is precisely why there was a moratorium placed to ENSURE that the OTHER wells are not a possible catastrophe waiting to happen like this one was.
Just because you hate the President and want to see him fail does not make this his fault nor does it enable him to solve the problem. Is it nap time for you yet?
After surviving Katrina, I thought that what didn't kill us would make us stronger, but it's hard to fight the incompetence, inaction, misinformation, and plain old BULL that we've been being spoon fed for the last two months. It didn't take much intelligence to foresee that at some point the oil would come ashore in Mississippi. First Louisiana, then Alabama, then Florida. Two months after watching this slow moving disaster ruin those beautiful places, you would think that someone - who ever the hell is in charge - would have the common sense to boom ALL bays and inlets to at the very least avoid the oil coming into sensitive areas. Apparently none of these idiots -- I'm talking to you BP - COAST GUARD - WHITE HOUSE - FEMA... ... seem to possess enough foresight to see that at some point the oil would come ashore and to use the time to mitigate damage to areas unaffected.
At least BP is trying to stop the leak, albeit because it's costing them dearly. Our government has let us down. Perhaps the conspiracy theorists are right. They either just don't give a damn or perhaps this is the way the government wants this disaster to play out. It sounds pretty bizarre to even consider, but I'm beginning to wonder.
I'm angry, I'm broken hearted, and I'm pissed off. If this is the best "the powers that be" can do, we are in trouble.
Seething,
Tell you what. How about you march right over to Haley's office and ask him what he has done with the $24,000,000 BP provided MS and how he is using the 6,000 National Guard troops Obama authorized to be deployed to MS?
Come back and post again when you have the answers.
Maybe they can use Haley Barbour's hair to mop up those "few" tar balls.
yeah....imagine the "shock" being felt by the creatures that have to live and breathe in that water. so many articles about the "shock" that people are feeling, the "shock" to the economy. what about the shock to the environment? i'm far from being a tree hugger, but you know, without a healthy ocean and a healthy environment, there won't be any need for a healthy economy...cause we'll be long gone.
I totally agree with you.
Harry T...You hit it on the head! My daughter works as a food server in a gulf coast town in Florida. She is studying environmental science in college. When queried about it numerous people have said "Oh, we're Christians and we don't believe in that." Believe in what? Protecting our planet for future generations. What kind of religion is that?
I'm a Southerner and a Christian (though not the kind you quoted). In my Christian upbringing we called it "stewardship of the Earth". We were given dominion over the Earth, its seas, its creatures...but to care for our world, not to abuse it. Some so-called Christians are merely members of country clubs with steeples that have hijacked the name of Jesus. They are also making up rules for the rest of us to follow. Jesus came to overcome the law and free us from the law. Christians should follow Christ and not allow their houses of worship to become branches of the local Republican party. Christ followers should also practice discernment. By the way...HE predicted that this would happen!
amen!
Why are they shocked that there is oil on the beaches? Have they been under a rock? Been to too many Tea Party rally's?
People are stupid. An oil spill means oil will be on your favorite beach. "Drill Baby, Drill"
I remember the Indian chief who would look across the lands we have spoiled, shed a tear and the caption would read "Don't Pollute". This is a crime against humanity, people need to go to jail, a corporation (at least 1) should be given the death penalty. This is more like a holocost then a katrina. I would send the troops in for a hostile takeover of this corporation, now that would get Obama the status he covets. Declaring war on BP might even get the guy's face on a rock in South Dakota. This is the worst disaster in my lifetime, there has been no greater tragedy to our nation since possibly the dust bowl or maybe the Civil War. When Iraq took Kuwait and Bush said "this will not stand" I was proud that our leader understood the threat and acted. Just because no malice was done intentionally shouldn't matter. Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law is a lesson my father always reminded me of. I hope Mr. Obama stops worrying about the quagmire in Afghanistan and goes after this company as if it were a terrorist. yeah, the gas may spike and if it does we need to hold the entire industry responsible. We need a patriot for a president, not a pragmatist on this
This story drives home some very troubling realities for the people of the Gulf that are only just now beginning to be affected by this disaster. Because the people in that region consistently elect people that are in politics more for THEIR own good than for that of the people. Do the residents of LA or MS really believe that Jindal or Barbour are motivated to do what is best for the people of these states? If you do, you will continue to do what you have done for decades, all to your own detriment. Rather than pick on the Gulf (you have been through enough for now) at the moment, let’s look at another example that is strikingly similar…
Take a look at West Virginia for instance. WV is a state with enormous coal and other natural resources that SHOULD be reaping the benefits of Mother Nature’s largesse in depositing these riches beneath the Blue Mountains. Instead, WV is among the bottom of the NATIONAL statistics in per capita income, education, occupational deaths and injuries, etc. Why do you think this is? Do you think maybe it’s because the mega corporations that own all the coal mines lock, stock, and barrel are allowed to take over entire areas and nobody in local or state government is willing to challenge them in any way on any issue. The local politicians are, obviously, financed by these big money interests and; therefore, the local pols want to do anything in their power to continue the gravy train. They look the other way on regulations and enforcement and the operatoes are able to do pretty much anything they want since they know the entire state is held hostage by the coal industry and the money/jobs they create there. The problem is that none of these jobs are really enough for the workers to build a future and the safety concerns and issues are chilling, to say the least. These workers endure these conditions and continue to labor to stuff the pockets of the mine operators precisely because there ARE no options in this region of the country. WV has spent nothing on infrastructure, education, development of alternative resources, and has done nothing to attract other, more vibrant industries and jobs to the area to allow its citizens a chance to improve their lives. Instead, the operators are allowed to rape the land of the resources and leave their poisoned and destroyed mountaintops and contaminated water supplies in their wake without contributing ANYTHING to the state, its citizens, or this nation. Yes, they produce a needed resource, but at what cost to the environment and the people?
As long as it is cheaper to just let workers die and replace them cheaply, there will be no interruption in the flow of our obscene profits as long as we can keep raping the environment and reaping the vast and untold fortunes while we decimate the earth and screw the employees.
If the right wing were not so caught up in the lies, fear, and the hate that is being intentionally spread for EXACTLY this reason, they might actually wake up and realize that it is the politicians in your own backyards as well as the corporate oligarchs EVERYWHERE in the world that are your real enemy. President Obama is trying desperately to take on these interests to provide protection for us little people.
True Americans should be supporting this President because he is the ONLY one taking on Big Insurance (HCR), Wall Street (Wall Street Reform), etc. and is looking to provide protection from the rampant abuse by big business. Instead, because of centuries old bigotry and cultural isolation, you scorn and disdain the man that (if you were but willing and able to see it) is actually ON YOUR SIDE! Unfortunately, rather than accept this and make peace with the fact you may well have been wrong in your political fervor, you will viciously fight with lies and rhetoric this "un-American" President that you distrust and do not like because he is unlike any that have gone before him. What a tragedy for America and I truly pity people that allow themselves to be caught up in this vicious circle and seem to be unable to wake from their stupor.
And, please don't insult my intelligence by trying to convince me that Massey or BP are not motivated by the profits to be derived from the natural resources they are desecrating our environment and decimating the ecological balance to obtain. If there were not huge profits to be made, these corporations would not be there and would not be spending capital to obtain the resources. They are not in this to be philanthropic.
In regards to the BP disaster specifically, there are those that champion BP’s “stellar” safety history. Well, I am afraid that the facts do not quite bear them out on this one. We have all heard about the Ixtoc disaster and the refinery explosion in Texas. We also know about the 700+ MAJOR safety violations and something in excess of $84,000,000 in fines assessed against BP, I believe within the last 10 years. Not to mention that their safety plans (all untested until the current disaster) have been proven woefully inadequate. While the industry was working overtime to extract the treasure (BP made over 60 BILLION dollars last year), they spent literally nothing on improving safety or disaster response technology or planning.
Since we now have one well gushing UNCONTROLLABLY in the Gulf and it is clear that the technology and expertise to quickly and effectively respond to a leak like this or to be able to clean the fouled beaches, please explain to me again why we should allow the people that cut every corner to save a few bucks and increased the risk that this could happen to resume their operations as if nothing had happened? Am I the only sane person to realize this is folly at an incredible level? I mean really people. Yes, we are dependent on oil. The USA has proven oil reserves that amount to TWO PERCENT of the known oil reserves in the world. We do NOT need to pump our oil in areas where we literally risk the future of this planet and ecosystem to do so.
The Governors of LA and MS have been beating their chests about continuing to drill for the good of their residents. When will the residents of these states wake up and realize that you have ALL been sold to the oil companies and YOU are getting nothing but peanuts in exchange for what they have now done to your beautiful Gulf. Wake up America! Reject the echo chamber, open your eyes, and try to remember what independent thought, debate, logic, and reasoning are all about.